The church of St. Panteleimon is located in the village of Gorno Nerezi, North Macedonia. According to the painted inscriptions on the frescoes, the church of St. Panteleimon was erected in 1164. Built by Alexios Komnenos, a nephew of Byzantine emperor John II, this church originally functioned as a monastery.

Its unique cross-domed architecture parallels its imperial patronage; one can find similarities in form in the church of the Holy Apostles in the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. St. Panteleimon, like most Byzantine churches, is divided into the narthex (entrance), the naos (main area), and the bema (altar location). Two chapels connect to the narthex, and two more to the bema, totalling five domes with the inclusion of the main dome. Most of the original, twelfth-century frescoes can be found in the lower registers of the naos and bema, unified by a blue background. St Panteleimon’s original frescos are of particular value since no other painted church programs survive from this period.

The striking quality of the Nerezi figures found in these biblical scenes can be attributed to the deliberate use of line. While the elongated figures are characteristic of the Komnenian period, the contoured facial expressions set these frescoes apart from the emotional reserve common to Byzantine painting. For example, deep lines of grief cross the Virgin’s face in the Lamentation, articulating an anguish and emotional engagement often missing from Byzantine art. In keeping with the compositional standards of the time, Nerezi’s frescos feature ground-level portraits of saints, with narrative scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary above. The artists display a naturalistic approach to the background landscape. Additionally, the hills' rising and sinking draw the viewer into the focal point of each composition.

The templon, the barrier between the naos and the bema, is adorned on each side by two large icons. The north icon, now damaged, once represented the Virgin and child. The south icon represents the church’s patron saint: St Panteleimon. The large-scale and decorative frames indicate these icons to have served as foci of prayer and veneration.

The eight bishops that decorate the walls of the bema bring Nerezi’s artistic innovation to a pinnacle. The three-quarter, dynamic poses the bishops assume with their liturgical scrolls would have mimicked actual clergy during mass; therefore, activating the space visually.

Nerezi vividly exhibits Byzantium's beautiful frescoes, often overshadowed by elaborate mosaic programs most commonly associated with the era. The naturalism of the landscapes and emotional depth of the figures seem to anticipate the Italian Renaissance, cementing the vital influence of Byzantine art.

-MT